Crossbreeding program designed for northern pasture operations.

2. Arizona?
Iowa?
Upper
Michigan?
Probably
Not!

3. 1. Utilize beneficial Highland traits
as efficiently as possible.
2. Realize that we live in an Angus
world.

4. Cow

5. 1. Longevity
2. Low maintenance costs
3. Efficient grazer
4. Ability to browse
5. Calving ease
6. Smaller frame

6. Because of their longevity,
Highlands are uniquely suited for
terminal crossing.

7. 1. Maximize hybrid vigor
2. Specialized sires and dams
3. Lower bull turnover rate
4. Easier genetic choices
5. Consistency

8. 1. Must purchase replacement
females.
2. Or have multiple levels of
production on the same farm.

9. 1. More productive due to hybrid
vigor
2. Hybrid vigor maximized when
pure British breed crossed with
pure Continental breed
3. More longevity

10. The increased vigor or general
health, resistance to disease,
and other superior qualities
that are often manifested in
hybrid organisms, especially
plants and animals.

11. Auroch Cattle – Extinct 1627
All cattle descendants of
Aurochs

12. Increased separation of breeds of
cattle by distance, natural barriers
and selection pressure increases
hybrid vigor when mated.

13. The increased vigor or general
health, resistance to disease,
and other superior qualities
that are often manifested in
hybrid organisms, especially
plants and animals.

14. 1. Have more lbs of carcass/steer.
2. Have more lbs of carcass/acre.

15. We need to think of cattle as
feedlot type and pasture type

19. Increase cattle weight means increased
pasture damage. Yields may be reduced
as soon as 3 days of pasturing.

20. 1. Continental breed.
2. High weaning weight breed.
3. Small frame size.
4. Polled
5. Popular breed for crossing with
Angus.

21. Astro - Gelbvieh Bull

22. Simmental 1353 pounds
Hereford 1348 pounds
Angus 1342 pounds
Charolais 1339 pounds
Limousin 1330 pounds
Gelbvieh 1282 pounds

24. Gelbvieh produced the
highest weaning weight per
cow exposed to breeding at
Clay Center

25. Gelbvieh cattle are a lean
breed. Of all the breeds
studied at Clay Center,
they had the largest ribeye
muscle area per 100 kg.
Thus they have a high
cutout yield.

27. Balancer Bull = Gelbvieh x Angus

28. Feedlot – Angus, Hereford,
Simmental, Etc.
Show Cattle – Club Bull
Kobe/niche market - Wagyu
Grass – Lowline Angus

29. Lowline Cattle History
The Australian Lowline cattle came
from a cattle research project
conduced by the New South Wales
Department of Agriculture located in
Trangie, Australia. The 30-year project
was started in the early 1970’s with the
ultimate goal being to produce more
beef per acre.

30. Breed
Ave # of
breeding
cows per
100 acres*
Pounds of
average
carcass per
head wt. at
15 months off
grass
Pounds of
carcass
weight per
acre
Retail
carcass yield
% saleable
weight
Pounds of
retail product
per acre
Simmental 23 556 115 69% 79.4
Wagyu 38 442 151 55% 83.1
Shorthorn 28 532 132 65% 86.1
Hereford 30 552 147 64% 94.2
Murray Grey 32 547 158 67% 106
Angus 33 543 162 68% 110
Lowline 54 418 203 76% 154
Trangie Research Center

31. Lexus – Lowline Angus Bull

33. AI
ET
Highland
Multiplication
Crossbreeding
Gelbvieh x
Highland
Gelbvieh x Highland cow
x Lowline bull

34. Rancher – Wagyu Bull

35. Beef cows with a hair coat
just one inch thicker than
average requires 20% to 25%
less digestible feed intake to
maintain body weight in cold
weather. – Montana State
University

36. Gelvieh x Highland Steer
Sandhill Pines Farm

37. The U.S. beef cow herd has
decreased 12 of the last 14 years,
dropping from a cyclical peak of
35.3 million head in 1996 to the
January 2010 level of 31.3 million
head. This represents the
smallest beef cow herd since 1963.
Because of drought, another
600,000 decline is expected in
2012.